Sometimes, even when we’re doing everything “right” with our website, we still see low traffic, high bounce rates, and minimal leads. Before you rework your entire strategy, first conduct a comprehensive website health check. 

While this health check can cover a variety of elements for your website, from security and performance to user experience, this post will focus specifically on search visibility and how to interpret website audit report data.

The data compiled in website audit reports will provide insight into ways you can refine the SEO of your current content. This can be a vital tool as it not only highlights weaknesses on your site but provides more efficient solutions to boosting your on-page SEO. 

Let’s take a closer look at the important data that website audit reports can provide and how to use that data to optimize your current content. 

 

1. Understanding website audit reports

Website audit reports are the outcome of in-depth SEO audits, which evaluate how well your website is optimized for search engines. Website SEO audit services work by identifying website errors and reviewing all factors that can potentially influence your position on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS), or how high up in the search results your site appears.

Website audit reports will detail your site’s effectiveness by breaking down internal and external links, keyword usage, metadata, user journey, and video optimization, among many other factors. 

There are several tools you can use to conduct an SEO audit, including SE Ranking’s audit tool. However, we recommend joining forces with a professional service, especially if this is your first website health check. 

Organizations that offer on-page SEO services, keyword research services, or website audit services can be integral in breaking down the data collected in your website audit report and turning that data into actionable next steps. 

 

2. How data from website audit reports can improve website traffic

Based on the data provided in your website audit report, you can categorize your existing content and website pages into four key groups:

• Keep – the content is performing well and does not need any changes.

• Update – the content has potential but needs improvements to perform better. This can be as simple as adding a few keywords based on new research, adding alt text to a featured image, or adding internal links.

• Repurpose – some content may overlap with other pages of content and can be consolidated, while others may not be performing well and can be better used as a gated offer or social media post instead. Take advantage of the work you’ve already done by repurposing any copy, videos, or graphics you created.

• Delete – any extremely outdated, irrelevant, or low-quality content should be removed or archived. Note, in general, we advise against removing old content as it may well contribute to your site’s SEO. Avoid deleting any content that has backlinks, is receiving organic traffic, or is supporting the rank of other pages on your site. 

While at first, it may be daunting, the insights found in website audit reports can make all the difference in your on-page SEO strategy. Using that data to make a few small adjustments to your current content can help ensure your content reflects how your target audience searches for information online. This is instrumental in improving website traffic and attracting good-fit leads.

3. How to use website audit reports to improve current content

Publishing consistent, high-quality content is an effective way to increase website traffic and improve your site’s SEO, and therefore your search visibility. However, you can upgrade this strategy by prioritizing optimizing your current content, rather than only turning out new pieces for your site. Why put resources into generating new content, when optimizing your existing content can be just as effective and quicker?

From gated content to your About Me page, every aspect of your website can be optimized to help your site’s ranking. Rather than tossing around new strategies to see what sticks, website audit reports show clear-cut areas for improvement, allowing you to make changes confidently.

When starting their content strategy, many companies focus on building out their blog content to improve website traffic. This is a great starting point as it allows you to set yourself up as a knowledgeable leader in your industry while offering several opportunities to boost your SEO.

However, if you have a blog post that is well-written, informative, and hits on the pain points of your target audience but is still not receiving traffic, you may have missed the SEO mark. Before you get discouraged, consult your website audit report – you may find that a few issues in your blog, like a lack of alt text in your images, keywords, or H2 headers, are depressing your SERP. 

This same process can be applied to any poor-performing webpage or content. These updates and adjustments are relatively easy to implement and can have the same or greater effect as creating and posting a new piece of content. Saving time and resources, all while growing your SEO strategy, is an undeniable win for any organization.

 

Don’t wait to conduct a website health check

Refining your on-page SEO can be the missing link between your content and your target audience. There are always ways to improve your website’s ranking to grow traffic, even if you don’t see any red flags. Website audit services are a simple first step in boosting your SERP and growing your organic leads.

Our team is here to guide your SEO audit, decipher and condense the website audit reports so you understand essential insights, and create a plan to improve website traffic. Reach out today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to discuss your business goals and how we can help you achieve them.